


Darkside

by crunchykoa



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Dark!Keith, General Keith, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 10:25:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15906387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crunchykoa/pseuds/crunchykoa
Summary: Dark Keith AU !Shiro gets to know Keith while they have Lotor and Keith imprisoned on the Castle.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just spit this out I'm not really a writer I just love me some Dark Keith. This scene takes place during the time Lotor is captured by Team Voltron in the beginning of s5 e1.

Keith sat quietly in the transparent prison. Lotor had been placed separately from him and Keith was hardly part of Voltron’s main concerns. The scarcity of any visitors left him anxious and he passed the time by running drills. At this point he’d seen so much battle it’s almost impossible not to imagine anything else anyway. Sometimes his imagery slipped into past battles. None usually stood out. Keith had taken down many foes in seconds that they were hardly worth remembering. However, Keith began to see a familiar face emerge. Shaved sides. Tuft of white hair. Scar streaked over his nose.

Shiro’s ferocity entered Keith’s mind and suddenly he was in the heat of battle. Keith charged at the black paladin, all his energy being channeled into his blades. They glowed, heat radiating off the blades as Keith swung full force. Shiro threw up his galra arm to defend it; sparks flew and Keith lunged into him, his blades crossed. Shiro yelled forcing Keith from him, the action causing Keith’s vision to go white. He suddenly felt like he was falling.

“How are you feeling?” Shiro asked, having entered the room while Keith was lost in his mind. He didn’t realize he had frozen in his place. He felt sweat drip down his face as he composed himself.

“Could be better if I wasn’t imprisoned.” Keith said taking a seat and dropping his head to stare at the floor. He suddenly felt exhausted.

“Well we can’t just let you wander around.” Shiro said.

“We’re only trying to help.” Keith said his face looking up. His eyes met Shiro’s and he could feel the hesitation in Shiro’s response. Keith knew Shiro didn’t come here to explain why they were locked up. “Why did you come to see me?”

Shiro stepped forward until he was close enough to reach out and touch the glass if he wanted to.

“Keith...how did you end up with Lotor? How did you go from Earth to being a General for the Galra Empire?”

“I could ask you the same thing. How did you end up becoming the Black Paladin of Voltron? We’ve all got a past. We’ve all got a history. Why worry about how we ended up here?”

“It’s just...I remember you. We met years ago at your school. I was there to recruit for the Garrison.” Shiro said.

“I remember. I remember thinking you looked like a tool.” Keith chuckled to himself. There was a small moment of silence before Keith decided to continue.

“There wasn’t a whole lot for me on Earth. My mother had left me when I was a baby. My dad died. People never treated me like I was a person. Only a problem to be dealt with. I distanced myself from others and found myself drawn to a mystical energy out in the desert. It turned out to be the Blue Lion.”

“Lotor came to Earth looking for the Blue Lion and gave me purpose. He gave me the strength to be who I am and I knew he was the only one who could help me. He said I have natural gifts that just needed to be honed.”

“Lotor’s a pretty good talker, huh.” Shiro said.

“He’s not just a talker. He’s a man of action. He does what needs to be done so he can make change within the Empire.”

“You really believe that?” Shiro asked. “Do you really trust him?”

“Lotor is the one person who never gave up on me. I trust him with my life.”


	2. You Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith has a moment where he struggles with his identity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote some more this really is probably just gonna be a collection of drabbles I don't have the focus to do more fbdlsldj
> 
> takes place probably somewhere in season 3 era

"Did your guys' parents ever make you eat yelmor? Ugh it was so disgusting." Ezor groaned. "This isn't so bad." She said taking another bite of food goo.

"My parents made us catch our yelmors before we could eat them!" Zethrid said mid-chew. "It was a big family event, you either came back with a yelmor or starved to death!"

"Starved to death!?"

"Nah not really, we just tied them up while they had to watch us eat." Zethrid laughed while taking another bite.

"What about you Acxa?" Ezor asked.

"I'd had it once when I was young. Didn't taste like much."

"Keith?" Ezor asked with a sly grin, knowing all too well Keith had grown up on Earth.

"No. Never had it."

Zethrid popped up next to Keith and wrapped an arm around him. "Well maybe we'll have to take you on the next hunt!"

They finished their food and Keith and Axca decided to hit the training deck. At first they teamed up to take on some sentries but when they destroyed the last one and before the next batch could be deployed, Acxa threw Keith a sly grin and put her gun away. Keith returned the expression and sheathed both of his swords.

Keith moved first, leaping over the pile of sentry bodies in order to close the gap between them. Acxa dodged to the side to avoid Keith's fist and Keith turned quickly in her direction so he could block a kick coming straight for his head.

The two carried on for longer that most of the other officers on duty thought they should. By the end of it Acxa stood above him in victory. She helped Keith up and the two walked back to their own chambers satisfied.

They stopped just outside of the doors to the training arena as they heard a quiet conversation nearby.

"You were foolish to put your bets on a human." One soldier said.

"A human could never stand up to the Galra!" Another chimed in. "It was clear he was going to lose from the start."

"He has Galra blood." A third soldier responded. Almost a defense really. Keith and Acxa knew who they were talking about.

"But his human blood makes him weak."

Axca walked fully into their line of sight and before Keith could stop her she was already addressing them.

Upon sight of them, the three soldiers stood at attention.

"We're done with the training room, have these sentries cleared out in 15 doboshes." Acxa ordered.

"Sir, it will take at least a varga to fully clear out so many sentries."

"Well then you'd better get started before I have you thrown out the airlock." Acxa walked off with Keith tailing behind her.

They walked in silence for a ways before Keith spoke. "You didn't have to do that. It wasn't that much different from back on Earth. Being whispered about behind my back."

"We're not on Earth, Keith." Acxa stopped to face him. "We are Lotor's handpicked generals, and people have to learn to respect you. To respect where you come from."

________

Keith was getting settled in his bed chamber by changing into a simple tee shirt and pants. The events of the day had left him with mixed feelings that overwhelmed him with the urge to sleep. 

There was a knock on Keith's door and Lotor appeared, also wearing a plain shirt. It was tight enough to see all the rippling muscles of his form through it.

"Acxa told me about what happened today."

Keith crossed his arms. "So then you know it's not a big deal."

Lotor comes forward and puts a hand gently to Keith's shoulder. "Keith, please relax."

Keith drops his arms at his sides and Lotor continued. "You may be human but you are also Galra. Your mixed heritage does not make you weak."

"Lotor, humans _are_ weak. Here with you I feel like I'm just Galra. That's all I want."

"You are not full Galra, Keith. Nor am I. Our identities come from accepting all parts of ourselves. That is what makes us strong. It is not always our physical strength that wins our battles, it is the strength of our fighting spirit."

Lotor drew Keith's head towards his chest. Keith leaned his head against him to rest his forehead on the muscles. Lotor propped his chin on the top of Keith's head.

"I invited you to join me because I knew you were strong. I've seen it on the battlefield and I've seen it in your heart. You are human. You are Galra. You are strong, Keith."


End file.
